This volume explores the story behind the making
of Gray Column, from its original concept
to its display at the Getty, which marks the
first time the piece will be installed as Valentine
intended—standing vertically. The book
includes a short essay, a conversation with the
artist, and a wealth of archival images taken
during Gray Column's creation. Together they
illustrate the extraordinary lengths Valentine
went to in developing a material that would enable
him to cast colossal pieces, and the efforts
needed to achieve their extremely delicate and
pristine surfaces. The book includes a thirty-minute
DVD that recounts the project through
interviews and documentary footage.